Chapter 25 Clues to Mother
Su Wantang and Lu Jingyan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.
She had just arrived in Beijing and was unfamiliar with the city. Apart from Ye Manrou and her few clowns, who would look for her? And why would they do it in such a secretive way?
"I'll go get it." Su Wantang put down the fried dough stick in her hand and wiped her hands.
"I'll go with you." Lu Jingyan stood up, his tall figure exuding an aura that brooked no refusal.
Inside the guardhouse, the sentry on duty was a young man. When he saw Lu Jingyan coming in person, he jumped in fright and immediately stood up straight. There were also two middle-aged women carrying vegetable baskets inside, peeking out with the excited look of onlookers.
"Commander Lu, the call is for your wife." The young sentry pointed to the old-fashioned black rotary telephone and added in a low voice, "The person on the other end of the line speaks in a muffled voice, which sounds really strange."
The middle-aged women around them perked up their ears even more.
Ignoring the probing gazes, Su Wantang walked straight over and picked up the cold telephone receiver.
"Hello."
She uttered only one word, followed by a burst of static, and then a processed voice came through the receiver, androgynous and eerie.
"Miss Su."
Su Wantang's eyes flickered slightly, and her fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on the microphone's connection cable.
She wasn't given a chance to ask questions; the other party dropped the first bombshell.
"Your mother Bai Xiuzhu's death was not an accident."
boom!
Su Wantang's breath caught in her throat for a moment. Her hand gripping the microphone tightened suddenly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
The death of my mother...
In the original owner's memory, her mother, Bai Xiuzhu, died from a sudden and severe illness. The illness struck like a landslide, and she passed away within a few days. This was also the consistent story told to outsiders by Su Zhenhong and Liu Liyun.
Wang Ma also mentioned that her mother's health was deteriorating day by day, but there was no evidence to prove that Liu Liyun was responsible.
Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Su Wantang's voice was completely calm, even colder than before: "Who are you?"
The other person chuckled softly, a distorted laugh that sent chills down one's spine.
Who I am is not important.
"The important thing is that the medicine at the Peace Hotel comes from the Ye family."
Su Wantang's pupils contracted slightly.
“Scheming against Lu Jingyan was just a side effect.”
"Their main target is you."
Another heavy blow!
Is she the primary target?
Why?
What is it about her that makes her, a cannon fodder female supporting character who is about to be disgraced and die tragically according to the original plot, so that a power like the Ye family would go to such lengths to devise a scheme that would kill two or three birds with one stone?
She thought she had taken advantage of Lu Jingyan's influence to disrupt the game.
After all that fuss, it turns out I was the center of the whole game?
This isn't a beaver.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning, her brain working at high speed to connect all the clues.
The mother's enormous inheritance, the mysterious key and vault, Liu Liyun's ambiguous Hong Kong background... and now, the Ye family's elaborate schemes.
Everything points to one possibility—she, Su Wantang, or rather, the original owner of this body, harbors a tremendous secret. A secret powerful enough to drive all factions mad!
"Why me?" she asked calmly, each word as if chilled to the bone.
"Your mother left you a list." The mysterious man seemed satisfied with her reaction and slowly offered the clue, "Find the people on the list, and they will tell you the whole truth."
List?
Su Wantang's heart began to pound uncontrollably.
"The first person is named Qin Zheng, a retired soldier, who lives in Beijing."
Qin Zheng.
She etched that name into her mind.
Before she could ask any more questions, the other person suddenly sped up their speech, as if time was running out, and threw out the last, and most fatal, piece of information.
"One last piece of advice! Be careful of Lu Jingyan's second uncle, Lu Wenbo."
"He is inextricably linked to your mother's death!"
Lu Wenbo!
Lu Jingyan's second uncle?
That person who holds a high position and great power in the Lu family, second only to Old Master Lu?
Su Wantang felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight up to the top of her head.
Her marriage to Lu Jingyan was originally a mutual exploitation under the circumstances of crisis. They had just formed an alliance last night, but now, this mysterious man is telling her that his second uncle is very likely one of the murderers who killed her mother!
What's this?
“Clatter.”
The call was disconnected.
All that came through the receiver was a cold, indifferent dial tone.
Su Wantang held the microphone, frozen in place, motionless.
My palms were covered in cold sweat.
"Sister-in-law? Are you alright?" The young sentry asked cautiously, noticing her pale face.
The two middle-aged women were also whispering and pointing at each other.
"Oh my, look at her face, it's as white as paper."
"Who made this call? Could something have happened in Shanghai again?"
"Judging from this situation, it's probably true."
Lu Jingyan gave them a cold look, and the two middle-aged women immediately fell silent, sheepishly carrying their shopping baskets as they slipped away.
He walked to Su Wantang's side, placed his large hand on the back of her cold hand, gently took the microphone from her hand, and hung it up again.
"What's wrong?" His voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.
"It's nothing," Su Wantang shook her head, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "It was just... a wrong number."
She lied.
For the first time in my life, I lied to him.
Lu Jingyan stared at her with deep, dark eyes, without asking any further questions.
On the way home, the two remained silent.
Su Wantang lowered her head, her mind clearer than ever before.
My mother's death was not an accident.
She was the target of the Peace Hotel.
The Ye family were the implementers.
There is a mysterious list.
The first person they needed to find was Qin Zheng.
Lu Jingyan's second uncle, Lu Wenbo, is one of the people who killed his mother.
This game of chess is much bigger and more dangerous than she imagined.
Who was making the phone call? Was they friend or foe?
Was it her mother's old subordinates trying to incite her to seek revenge? Or was it a smokescreen deliberately thrown out by the mastermind to make her fight with the Lu family so they could reap the benefits?
It is not possible to determine at this time.
But two things are certain.
First, she must find Qin Zheng as soon as possible and obtain that list. That is her only way to break this deadlock.
Secondly, a huge rift appeared in her alliance with Lu Jingyan.
Can she still... trust him?
The moment this thought crossed Su Wantang's mind, her heart sank.
They soon arrived in front of the building. Lu Jingyan looked at the threshold, stepped forward, and wanted to take her hand.
Su Wantang subconsciously took a half step back.
An extremely subtle movement.
Lu Jingyan's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.
His eyes sharpened instantly: "What happened?"
Su Wantang raised her head and met his gaze.
She looked at him, at the clear concern and doubt in his eyes, and for the first time, she hesitated.
Should I tell him?
Tell him that one of his most respected elders may very well be a despicable murderer.
Will he believe it?
Even if he believed her, on one side was his blood relative, and on the other was his contract wife whom he had only known for a few days. What would he choose?
Su Wantang discovered that she couldn't find a way to put her mind at ease.
Trust, once established, requires countless tests and proofs.
And to destroy it, all it takes is a single sentence, a seed of doubt.
After all, from the moment she came into this world, she only believed in herself.
She lowered her eyes, avoiding his overly intense gaze, and spoke softly, revealing no emotion.
"nothing."
"I probably didn't sleep well last night, I'm a little tired."
After saying that, she walked past him, went straight to the bedroom, and closed the door.
In the living room, Lu Jingyan stood alone, his tall figure stretched long by the light.
He stared at the closed door, his gaze gradually darkening.
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